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Sashastra Seema Bal now a nemesis for wildlife smugglers

Recently, the SSB apprehended snake venom worth Rs 100 crore in West Bengal, which happens to the be the most wildlife-crime prone state with 125 cases followed by Uttar Pradesh with 54 cases.

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The Sashastra Seema Bal (SSB) has had a good run in nabbing the smugglers involved in carrying out wildlife crime. This year, SSB has seized things worth Rs 187.69 crore from 93 smugglers. These smugglers were involved in smuggling endangered species like Tokey Gecko lizards and prohibited items like snake venom, tiger and leopard skins and bones, elephant tusks/ivory, rhino horn, snake sand boa, tortoise, turtle and deer, deer skin and deer meat.

Recently, the SSB apprehended snake venom worth Rs 100 crore in West Bengal, which happens to the be the most wildlife-crime prone state with 125 cases followed by Uttar Pradesh with 54 cases.

Sources said Alipurduar in West Bengal is the main hub of wildlife smuggling from where 98 cases had been reported followed by Bahraich (15 cases) and Balrampur (15cases) in UP, Udalguri (14cases) in Assam, Jailpaiguri (12) and Darjeeling (10) in West Bengal.

Other areas of wildlife smuggling are Lakhimpur Kheri in UP and Kishanganj and West Champaran in Bihar. The illegal trade also includes body parts of dead animals like rhino horns, leopard skin and paw, deer horn and skull, rein deer skin, barking deer skin and elephant trunk.

The data shows that the price of seized products showed a massive increase to Rs11.16 crore and Rs 46.62 crore with the arrest of 43 and 70 smugglers in 2015 and 2016 respectively. In 2017, the SSB team has seized wild life products worth Rs 187.69 crore from 93 smugglers in 82 cases.

The force stated that in last two to three years, Tokey Gecko catchers become active in the Assam, West Bengal, Uttarakhand and Bihar. Tokay geckos (Gekko also known as gecko) are being caught illegally and trafficked from this region to Southeast Asian countries, where many people believe that medicines made from gecko meat can cure diseases such as AIDS and cancer. Tokey Gecko has been included into Schedule III, of Indian Wildlife Protection Act as highly endangered animal.

The wildlife trafficker usually poaches or killed wild animals and traffic their body parts for traditional medicines in China and other East Asian countries. Bengal tigers and one-horned rhinos are the prime targets in trade operations.

"Animal parts like rhino horns, tiger bones, ivory, deer antlers, pangolin scales, lizards, snakes are being smuggled to places like China, Myanmar and other Southeast Asian nations through the open route of Indo Nepal border and Indo Bhutan border. This region is presently used as a corridor by the international smuggler, causing a serious concern to the very existence of wildlife in the north-east India. Trade of bones, claws and skin of tiger, Assamese macaque, elephant tusk, smoked snakes and red panda have seen in this region," said officials.

From Indo-Bhutan borders and Indo-Nepal borders, the SSB team has arrested 221 wild life smugglers and recovered wildlife products worth Rs 244.56 crore in 247 cases that registered Uttarakhand, UP, Bihar, West Bengal and Assam between 2014 and 2017.

In 2010, the SSB seized wildlife products valued at Rs 1.06 crore and arrested two smugglers. In 2011, the value went up to Rs 1.51 crore but only one criminal was held. In 2012, the amount declined to Rs 56 lakh but six criminals were caught. The 2013 value of seized wildlife products again increased to Rs 2.09 crore. A total of 28 smugglers were held

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